


One More Day

by BamItsTaeTae



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Baggage, Feels, Heavy Angst, Horror, Sad, Some Humor, Survival Horror, You Have Been Warned, Zombies, it isn't all sad, undivided era sub units
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-07-18 21:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16127288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BamItsTaeTae/pseuds/BamItsTaeTae
Summary: In an instant the world ended.Civilization crumbled, leaving nothing but death and destruction.In an unforgiving world, eleven boys still struggling to survive, have lost all hope...Except for the hope they find in each other.





	1. Sandglass

     Daylight shone through a thick crack in the wall, pulling Daehwi from his slumber. For a few sweet seconds as his eyes fluttered open and his mind was still cloudy, Daehwi retained the peace sleep had brought him. But as he began to register his grim surroundings and the uneven breaths of the man lying next to him, his reality came crashing down upon him again. In a panic, he shot upright, looking around for signs of danger. The sudden motion and noise woke the man next to him. He groaned and looked up at Daehwi in confusion.

“O-oh.” Daehwi forced a smile. “Good morning, Seongwoo. Sorry for waking you up.”

“I’ll consider it yet another debt you have to me.” Seongwoo laughed and shakily pushed himself up.

Daehwi rolled his eyes, “If anyone here has debts it’s you.”

      Before Seongwoo had a chance to respond, the sound of a door closing in the distance made them both freeze. Daehwi stood slowly, never straightening up to more than a crouch. He crept over to the partially unhinged door that lead out of the filthy, wrecked apartment they had spent the last two days in. Seongwoo watched him intently, one hand holding his side in a feeble attempt to lessen the pain that would no doubt return if they needed to run. Despite how careful Daehwi was being, the shrill whine of the bloodstained door opening was painfully loud. He looked up and down the dimly lit hall. There was no one.

“Well?” Seongwoo asked when the silence became too much.

“I don’t see anyone,” Daehwi said softly. “It could have been the wind. But I think we should leave anyway. We’ve been here too long.”

Seongwoo sighed, “Yeah, probably.”

    As Daehwi made his way back over Seongwoo quickly packed up what few things they had. Daehwi bent down on one knee, wrapping an arm gently around Seongwoo. Like a well-oiled machine, they both got to their feet with as little pain as possible. But every pained grunt that left Seongwoo’s mouth sent a twang of guilt through Daehwi’s heart. He really did owe Seongwoo so much more than he could ever pay back. As always, Seongwoo noticed his expression. He smiled, reassuringly.

“You don’t have to look so distraught,” He said. “Just like you always said, I’m a masochist. This is nothing.”

Daehwi didn’t resist the smile that spread across his lips. “You’d have to be with all the idiotic situations you get yourself into.”

“Exactly!” The two of them began slowly making their way out of the run-down apartment. “I mean, what kind of idiot would become best friends with the kid who stole their Legos?”

“Only a masochist.” Daehwi laughed. “A masochist who won’t let things go.”

“Yep.” Seongwoo ruffled Daehwi’s hair. “I never let anything go.”

     Daehwi huffed in feigned annoyance and ran a hand through his hair to fix it. He wasn’t sure why he cared so much about his appearance during the end of the world. Maybe it was just something that made him feel a little more human. They made their way out of the building carefully. Every time they had to climb down stairs or do something that otherwise put a strain on him, Seongwoo would hum to himself. Mostly dumb pop songs that Daehwi could remember the two of them listening to in the car, back when things were normal. Daehwi looked over at him, smiling a little to himself. Seongwoo made him feel a little more human too.

     At last, they found their way out of the building. The sun was still low in the sky, so the buildings cast large shadows across the deserted street. The only sound that greeted them was that of the wind whistling in between buildings. Daehwi looked up and down the streets covered with rubble and stains he would rather not think about. It was clear.

“Let’s go that way.” Seongwoo gestured across the road.

“What? The road that goes up that hill?” Daehwi asked, in disbelief.

“Yeah, it looks familiar.” Seongwoo mumbled, eyes still locked on the road.

“I don’t think you’re in any condition to try and climb up there.” Daehwi said.

“But how long has it been since we’ve seen anything even remotely familiar?” Seongwoo pulled his eyes down to meet Daehwi’s.

Daehwi sighed. “Alright, if you think you can do it.”

     As painfully slow as ever, they made their way across the street and began their climb up the winding road. It weaved around buildings and just kept pointing up with little regard for the two boys struggling their way up it. Despite how hard it obviously was on him, Seongwoo didn’t complain. He didn’t change his mind or agree to take a break any of the countless times Daehwi offered. There was no such thing as a break anymore. Every time Daehwi picked out a building that seemed like a good place to stay, Seongwoo would insist they kept going. But at last, something made him stop.

He gasped. “No way!”

     Seongwoo wriggled his way out from Daehwi’s grasp and hobbled across the road as fast as he could. Daehwi chasing after him.

“Seongwoo!” He cried. “What on earth are yo-”

     At last, Daehwi registered what he was running towards. The words on the vaguely yellow sign had all but faded, and yet Daehwi recognized the little restaurant immediately. Seongwoo pressed his hands up against the window, laughing like a giddy child.

“I can’t believe we found it!” Seongwoo said. “You remember this place, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Daehwi approached it slowly. “We used to come here all the time after my classes were over.”

“The one place where adult life and college didn’t matter,” Seongwoo said fondly. “It was just me, you, and as much meat as my wallet could afford.”

“Which was barely any,” Daehwi said.

“Says the broke college student,” Seongwoo shot back as he rubbed his sleeve against the dirty windows,

     He strained to see into the building. After gazing through for a few seconds, he pulled away, smile having completely melted away. Daehwi stepped forward, trying to look into it himself. Seongwoo stopped him, expression grim.

“We should go,” He said.

      Daehwi swallowed, adrenaline spiking. He didn’t need to ask what Seongwoo had seen. Nothing, it seemed, from their old life had really been preserved. It was all gone. They didn’t speak for a long time. Eventually, the road began to flatten out. The tall skyscrapers faded into smaller, even shabbier buildings. They reached a fork in the road. In the distance, they could hear a faint scream. A chill ran down Daehwi’s spin. As the screams grew louder it grew more and more clear how ear-piercing and horrifying they were. This was bad. The two of them took off down one of the side roads. The tiny road dipped down lower than the main road, but they remained side by side. While the two of them were sufficiently hidden from whatever was up there, Daehwi couldn’t get over how close the screams were now. He just desperately wanted to get away from them. There was one final cry of pain and the screams stopped. For a moment, there was silence.

“Stop it! Please, just stop it!” Another voice cried.

     That was the last straw. Daehwi broke into a run, practically dragging Seongwoo. Even after the voices had long since faded away, he didn’t stop running. Seongwoo tried to protest, somewhat jokingly at first, but Daehwi was just sick of it all. He just wanted to get away from everything the horrible world had become.

“D-Daehwi, I’m serious,” Seongwoo struggled to say. “We have t-to stop. I-I can’t-”

    Daehwi came to an abrupt stop as Seongwoo started wheezing. Daehwi fell into instant panic. He desperately tried to help Seongwoo calm down. He slung his backpack off of his shoulder and pulled out their only water bottle. Seongwoo took a few gulps and finally regained his air. But he was looking pretty pale. In fact, he hadn’t been looking very good all day. Daehwi cursed himself for pushing him too hard. He looked around at the buildings surrounding them. A small wave of relief washed over him as he saw a small apartment building only a little ways down the road.

“We’ll stop there.” Daehwi pointed towards it. “It’s just a little farther, you can do it.”

    Seongwoo nodded, still breathing heavily. Even slower than before, they hobbled over to the building. As always, getting inside was easy. The only problem was climbing the stairs. As much as he hated it, Daehwi knew staying on the ground level was just far too dangerous. They struggled up the stairs together. It seemed like Seongwoo had run out of quips and reassuring smiles. He looked uncomfortably close to passing out.

“Just a little more,” Daehwi said over and over, praying that they would make it.

     Finally, they reached a high enough floor. Together, they stumbled into one of the apartments. Seongwoo instantly crumbled to the floor, Daehwi just barely being able to slow his descent. Daehwi managed to pull him over into the small kitchen, out of the doorway. He leaned him up against the cabinets. Seongwoo’s eyes were barely open.

“Is it alright… if I sleep for a bit?” Seongwoo muttered.

“Y-yeah,” Daehwi brushed the hair out of his face. “You just gotta wake up again, okay?”

     Seongwoo didn’t answer, his eyes having already slid closed. Daehwi felt unbearably uneasy. He sat down next to Seongwoo, letting his head lead against him. He took one of Seongwoo’s hands in his own, feeling his wrist for a pulse. It was still there, beating as strong as ever. Daehwi sighed. For a long time, he sat there in silence. But once again, Seongwoo's breaths became labored and uneven. Daehwi started to hum softly, hoping to calm him even if it was only a little. Quietly, he began to sing.

 

“ _Even as the sand falls_

_Even as time runs out_

_Even if we can’t turn things back_

_It’s okay, okay_

_Even when the sand finishes falling_

_Even when time stops_

_Only the memories will be by your side_ ”

 

     Unconsciously, Daehwi slowly began singing louder and louder. Tears threatened to slip down his face. It was just the two of them, against the world. As Daehwi neared the end of his song, a voice cut him off.

“Seonho? Seonho!”

       Terror filled Daehwi’s veins as the sound of someone running down the hall drew nearer along with the shouts. He looked over at Seongwoo. It was just the two of them

                                                                     **against the world.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a short one-shot type thing but I quickly realized it was gonna be kinda long.  
> It won't be THAT long, but it isn't short.  
> I mean, only two of the members have shown up.  
> But, stayed tuned guys. It's gonna get real interesting (and by that I mean sad).  
> I'll try for a weekly update schedule but school is the worst so... we'll see.


	2. Lean On Me

That day, the sun had disappeared. Dark storm clouds rolled across the sky silently. And with the thick tree branches over their heads, Jisung and Sungwoon were shrouded in darkness. Yet, strangely enough, Jisung had always found days like that to be his favorite. With no hot sun beating down on their backs and a hundred places to hide, it almost made him feel at ease. But this time, things were different. While in the past, Jisung had enjoyed walking through the nature preserve recreationally; in this situation it did nothing but, quite frankly, terrify him. If there was anywhere that they were likely to run into something, it was here. But Jisung trusted Sungwoon. If he didn’t, he never would have agreed to come here, no matter how desperate their situation was.

     As the two of them carefully hiked down the overgrown path, Jisung tried not to think about what could be in the shadows he normally found comforting. While hunting was the entire reason they were here, the idea of running into an animal was one Jisung would rather not entertain. Or, even worse, they could run into something that wasn’t an animal. Jisung shivered at his own thoughts. Sungwoon looked over at him.

“Are you cold?” He asked.

“Huh?” In an instant, Sungwoon broke his dark train of thought. “No. It’s okay.”

       Sungwoon quirked an eyebrow but he didn’t push it, something Jisung was grateful for. They both returned their attention to the task at hand, finding food. Sungwoon kept his eyes focused on the path ahead of them, only taking his eyes away to glance behind them. Jisung’s eyes on the other hand jumped between the forest to their right and left. The thick threes and shrubbery blocked a lot of their view, but not everything. Jisung stopped, his heartrate increasing. Sungwoon stopped almost as abruptly, turning to follow Jisung’s gaze. There, deep in the woods, a man lay propped up against a tree, motionless.

“Is he dead?” Jisung whispered.

“Hopefully,” Sungwoon inched towards the tree line. “If not, he’s probably one of the turned.”

“Should we… make sure he’s dead?” Jisung asked.

Sungwoon nodded slowly. “We don’t want him coming at us from behind.”

      The two of them began making their way over to the man, never taking their eyes off him. His head was resting on his chest and his hands lay on his lap. It almost looked as if he had just sat down for a quick rest. He looked thin and weak. His clothes were torn and covered with dirt and grime. His jet-black hair hung in front of his eyes, covering them. But even so, Jisung could tell he was handsome.

       The sight of him lying there made Jisung sick to his stomach. He hoped that there was some way the man was alright. But he knew that was foolish. In a world like this, no one could survive alone. At last, they reached him. Sungwoon bent down next to him, carefully looking over him.

“I don’t see any bite marks,” He muttered. “No swelling around the mouth either. If he was turned, it was a long time ago. He’ll be dead soon. I don’t think we have to worry about him attacking us. But… we should probably put him out of misery, right?”

     Jisung nodded sadly. Sungwoon stood up, pulling his folding knife out of his pocket. The two of them stood there for a while. Despite all the time they had spent in this world, neither of them had killed anyone. Sungwoon sighed, running a shaky hand through his hair.

“W-what if he’s not turned?” Jisung said.

“What are the chances of that?” Sungwoon asked, almost as if he was trying to convince himself.

    Jisung didn’t know how to answer. His eyes drifted back down to the man. His heart stopped. The man was staring at them through half lidded eyes. Sungwoon grabbed Jisung’s arm, defensively pulling him back and raising his knife. But the man didn’t move, he just kept staring at them like he was trying to process what was happening. The three of them stayed like that for what felt like years. But it slowly became clear to them that this man wasn’t turned. If he was, he would have attacked them at the first sign of aggression, even if he was still in the early stages. The man’s eyes landed on Sungwoon’s backpack and the bottle sticking out of one of the pockets.

“W-water…” His voice was painfully raspy and weak.

     Jisung looked at Sungwoon expectantly. But Sungwoon still maintained his defensive stance, even continuing to hold Jisung’s arm. Jisung pulled his arm away gently. Sungwoon looked over at him. Then, in a silence moment of communication, they both agreed to help him. Sungwoon pulled out his water bottle and crouched down. As soon as he began extending his arm, the man snatched the bottle. They watched as he chugged it down desperately. When he finally lowered it from his lips he looked a little more alive and cognizant.

“Are… are you better now?” Jisung asked.

     The man’s eyes landed on Jisung for what felt like the first time. As he nodded slowly he looked Jisung up and down. Jisung smiled softly, happy to know he was alright. He was tired of people dying. But the man’s eyes grew wide suddenly, an expression of terror running across his face. But in an instant, it transformed from terror to rage. With surprising speed and strength, the man shot up from the ground and pinned Jisung against the tree behind him.

“Where did you get this?” He screamed, shaking Jisung’s jacket.

“W-what?” Jisung struggled to catch his breath, let alone understand what was happening.

“Get off of him.” Sungwoon said terrifyingly calmly considering he was holding a knife up to the man’s throat. “I’ll kill you if you touch one hair on his head.”

       But Jisung could see the layer of fear behind Sungwoon’s eyes. But the man didn’t seem register the knife or Sungwoon’s threat. He pressed Jisung harder into the tree, eyes strangely close to tears. Sungwoon’s calm exterior crumbled slightly as he realized the man wasn’t going to listen.

“Please, where did you get this?” The man said again. “Did you kill the person you got it from? Was he alone?”

Jisung shook his head. “N-no, we didn’t kill anyone. We stumbled across some supplies in the city. We thought it was abandoned or forgotten so we started raiding it. But some guys showed up and attacked us when they saw us trying to take their stuff. T-they chased us off, but we managed to keep a few things… like this jacket.”

“How many were there? How long ago was this?” The man asked.

“I-I don’t know,” Jisung glanced at Sungwoon. “Four people? Maybe a week ago.”

“Four?” The man repeated, an intense look of relief spreading across his face. “T-they’re alive…”

     He sank to his knees, freeing Jisung. Sungwoon pulled Jisung away, eyes locked on the man. Tears had started to stream down his face as he turned to look at them.

“Please,” He said. “Please, help me find them, my friends. They’re all I have left. We got attacked by another group… I got separated from them… I thought they were dead. I thought I was going to die. I’ve been alone for so long. I miss them so much. If you’d even tell me the direction I need to head in… please.”

      Jisung looked over at Sungwoon. They both understood painfully well what he was feeling. The utter desperation to see them again, the willingness to do anything, the hopelessness, they had both been through it all. Jisung stepped towards the man, extending a hand.

“What’s your name?” He asked.

The man looked at him in disbelief before answering with a small smile. “Minhyun, Hwang Minhyun.”

     Minhyun look his hand and Jisung helped him up gently. Sungwoon took off his jacket, draping it over Minhyun’s shoulders.

“Well, Minhyun, I certainly hope you’re stronger than you look. We’ve got a long walk ahead of us.” He said.

“I’ll be as strong as I need to if it means I’ll get to see my friends alive and well again.” Minhyun said.

     Jisung smiled, wrapping his arm around Minhyun to support him as they began walking again. He knew it. He knew there were still people out there who were kind. The world wasn’t really so bleak. He was happy Minhyun was alive. He was just happy

                                                                                **to live another day.**


	3. Another Step

    The sun was dipping further and further below the horizon. Vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows were being traded for deep purples, blues, and black. Night was approaching quickly, far too quickly in Woojin’s opinion. Night meant they had to find somewhere to stop and rest. There was nothing the little trio hated more than stopping for no good reason.

    Which was why, as he leaned against the cold exterior of the building, Woojin was slowly slipping into intense boredom and madness. They had been in there for an absurdly long time for his liking. Of course, if he had been one of the winners of their little game of rock paper scissors, he would have taken just as long to explore the run-down internet café. But it was far too dangerous to hang out in the first floor of a building without someone keeping watch, and that someone just _had_ to be Woojin. He slammed his fist into the door for the millionth time as a warning for them to hurry up. The sound of hushed excited chatter grew closer before the door swung open.

“Woojin, look!” Jaehwan said, excitedly holding up the skateboard he had found.

     Woojin resisted the urge to roll his eyes or laugh at the older man. Jaehwan had had a problem with picking up random junk ever since people stopped caring because the world ended. He was a real mess, especially for being the oldest of the three. It didn’t help that his hair was sticking up in several different directions and was covered with dust, no doubt from crawling under tables.

“There was some really cool stuff in there,” Daniel said, wiping some of the dust off of Jaehwan’s head. “But most of it is useless without electricity and there wasn’t really any food.”

“Who would have thought an internet café would be filled with electronics?” Woojin took off down the road in a slight huff.

     Jaehwan giggled as per his usual response to annoying people and the two of them ran to catch up with their friend. Daniel gave a somewhat apologetic smile and wrapped his arm around Woojin’s shoulders. The act deflated Woojin’s irritation quite a bit. It was hard to stay angry looking into a smile like that.

     The trio lapsed into their usual type of banter, ignoring the slowly darkening world around them. They had spent many nights on the streets of Seoul together long before the world ended. They weren’t afraid of the dark; and maybe not even of the things that hid within it. So, Daniel’s abrupt stop startled the other two.

“What?” Woojin asked.

Daniel’s eyes were fixed on a shadowed place on the other side of the street. “Do you see that?”

“Oh… no way!” Jaehwan’s eyes grew wide.

     After a few seconds, Woojin could make out what they were looking at. A gasp escaped his lips. An animal lay stiffly on the sidewalk, twitching every few seconds. Jaehwan took a few steps towards it, leaning forward and squinting to see it better.

“I think it’s about to die,” He said, taking a few more steps.

“Is… is it a cat?” Daniel asked, a faint layer of fear in his voice.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a dog,” Jaehwan was getting uncomfortably close to it.

“Whatever it is, we should leave it alone,” Woojin said, trying to grab Jaehwan’s arm.

“But this is the perfect time to investigate one of the turned!” Jaehwan easily evaded Woojin’s attempts to grab him. “You know we barely see them anymore. Even the animals who are turned have been dying off! This is the perfect opportunity to figure out how this all started.”

“Who cares how it started?” Woojin scoffed. “It’s not like it matters. Our lives haven’t changed all that much.”

“But aren’t you curious?” Jaehwan turned back to make eye contact, a playful smile on his face.

“Oh, come on!” Woojin looked over to Daniel for help.

   But Daniel’s eyes were still locked on the animal, a pained expression on his face. He didn’t look like he believed Jaehwan’s answer to his question. Even though the chances of this being one of his cats was next to nothing, Woojin knew it was enough to seriously upset him.

Woojin sighed. “Fine. Just… quickly put it out of its misery or something.”

“Okay,” Jaehwan stepped in front of the tiny creature, pulling out his knife.

“Hey, be careful!” Woojin said. “You know what happens when they-”

      It was too late. There was a loud _POP_ making all three of them jump. The intestines of them animal exploded, spraying up into the air. Larvae like blobs swarmed the outside, devouring it like acid in a matter of moments, leaving nothing but a disgusting stain on the concrete. The skateboard Jaehwan was still holding clattered to the ground.

“Jaehwan!” Woojin and Daniel both lunged forward, pulling Jaehwan back by his shirt.

“Aghh, yuck!” Jaehwan cried, holding his arms up.

     Dark red blood, pink intestines, and a disturbing mixture of other colors dripped down the front of Jaehwan’s shirt and pants. Woojin gagged, immediately pulling away and covering his mouth. Daniel took to examining his friend immediately for any harm. It seemed like all of the weird acid larvae had missed him.

“Did you get any in your mouth?” Daniel asked, inspecting Jaehwan’s face.

“Oh, thank the heavens no!” Jaehwan laughed a little, trying to wipe some of it off his shirt. “This is bad enough!”

“Hey, stop it!” Woojin grabbed his wrist carefully. “You know what could happen if any of this gets inside you.”

Jaehwan’s smile faltered for a second before bouncing back. “Oh, don’t be like that! I’m fine. We’re all fine. We promised we would all be fine, and we are!”

Daniel forced a smile. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s find a place to stay and get you cleaned up, okay?”

“Yes, please!” Jaehwan said in an exaggerated whine.

    Daniel laughed and they both started walking again. Woojin stared down at the stain still vivid on the concrete. Somehow, for the first time in their lives, they just got lucky. But Woojin didn’t like relying on luck, and he certainly didn’t like the uneasy feeling still lingering in his stomach. Daniel’s calls broke his trance and he sprinted to catch up with them. He didn’t know what he would do if something happened to them.

    The three of them stumbled down the dark road. Jaehwan practically forced a merry conversation on them. At first, Woojin, still feeling uneasy, was resistant to it. But when Daniel started to smile and laugh like normal, he couldn’t help but relax a little. Eventually, they stumbled across a good place to spend the night, a small two-story clothing store of all places. With the help of some fashionable dresses for rags and a little of their precious water, they were able to clean Jaehwan up.

    They turned full teenage girl mode and had a blast picking out a new outfit for Jaehwan to wear. But he ended up looking a little too fashionable for the apocalypse (wearing a dark suit jacket over a black and white graphic tee and some ripped black jeans) so he changed into his usual flannel and jeans combo. But they had returned to their normal selves, as smiley and flippant as ever, apocalypse or no.

     But by then they were exhausted beyond belief. It wasn’t hard to create makeshift beds out of clothing piles; the only problem was their general lack of food. Jaehwan insisted on being the one to keep watch first, claiming his stomach wouldn’t let him sleep anyway. Woojin wanted to protest but his eyes were barely able to stay open. So, Woojin and Daniel lay in their shabby beds and tried to fall asleep. The last thing Woojin could remember seeing was Jaehwan sitting on the checkout counter, eyes locked on the entrance, expression uncharacteristically melancholy.

 

 ~             ~              ~               ~              ~              ~               ~            ~             

             

    Jaehwan never woke Woojin or Daniel up to take watch. So, when Woojin's eyes opened to peaceful sunlight instead of darkness and a soft voice telling him to switch places, he panicked. His head shot up and he looked around frantically.

“Morning!” Jaehwan’s hoarse yet cheery voice called.

“Wha-” Woojin rubbed his eyes, sense coming back to him. “You didn’t wake us up… Jaehwan, again? You can’t keep doing this. You need rest.”

“So, do you!” Jaehwan laughed. “How else will you be our _Woonergizer_?”

    Daniel awoke to the sound of Jaehwan getting the crap kicked out of him. After Daniel broke up the squabble and Jaehwan promised to wake them up next time, they hit the road once again.

      The road weaved back and forth along the tree line of the nature preserve. Woojin couldn’t help but find the contrast of lush green life opposite the dilapidated remnants of a dead civilization a strange sight. If he had been told things would turn out like this for the city of Seoul, he wasn’t sure he’d be too surprised. In some ways, he preferred the life he had now. Even if he did miss civilization, he still had what mattered most.

“Woah!” Jaehwan slowed to a stop. “Look at that incline!”

     He was right. The winding road in front of them began a steep decent downwards. Woojin shrugged, not understanding the wonder Jaehwan was finding in it. That was, until he saw the mischievous spark in Jaehwan’s eyes as he reached into his backpack. Daniel understood too, letting out an almost comical gasp as Jaehwan pulled out the skateboard.

“Jaehwan, no!” Daniel cried.

“Jaehwan, yes!” Jaehwan threw the skateboard onto the ground and hopped on before anyone could stop him.

      He took off with immediate and impressive speed. Having never ridden a skateboard before, Jaehwan let out a terrified screech as he flew down the road. For a few seconds, all Woojin could do was stare in horror. He had a feeling Jaehwan was regretting all of his life choices. Woojin threw his backpack down beside Jaehwan’s and took off running.

“Wait!” Daniel started after him.

“Keep an eye on our stuff!” Woojin called back. “I’ll go get our idiot!”

     Woojin ran as fast as he’d ever run before but the distance between them only grew. Jaehwan was seriously picking up a lot of speed. Woojin started to worry that his friend was actually going to hurt himself. Jaehwan didn’t get much sleep the previous night, if any. Perhaps that’s why he thought it was a good idea to get on the skateboard in the first place.

“Slow down!” Woojin called. “Put your foot down or something!”

        Jaehwan continued screaming like he was seconds from dying (which he very well might have been) and slammed one of his feet down. It stopped him, a little more violently than Woojin had anticipated, but it certainly stopped him.

“Stop it! Please, just stop it!” Woojin cried as he ran up to the ball that was his friend. “Stop trying to get yourself killed, you idiot!”

Jaehwan groaned, rolling around on the ground. “That really hurt!”

“What did you think was gonna happen? You’ve never ridden a skateboard!” Woojin shook his head, completely exasperated.

     The sound of uncontrollable laughter grew closer. Daniel came running, or rather stumbling, down the road, all three backpacks in hand. He almost fell over he was laughing so hard. A smile spread across Woojin’s face and he started laughing too. The whole situation was just so ridiculous. Jaehwan looked up at them indignantly.

“Why are you laughing?” He asked.

“Y-you just…” Daniel choked on every other word. “You just jumped on a skateboard… and went flying and screaming down a hill… during the end of the world! You could’ve gotten us all killed but you just-”

   Daniel held his sides, desperately trying to get a hold of himself. Woojin wasn’t much better. Jaehwan’s face slowly slipped into a smile. Soon the three of them were sitting in the middle of the road, laughing like idiots. Eventually, they managed to calm down. Daniel helped Jaehwan onto his feet.

“Okay, no more skateboarding,” Woojin said.

“No more skateboarding,” Jaehwan repeated, still struggling to catch his breath and swaying slightly.

“We should get going,” Daniel said, handing them their backpacks.

    They all turned to get going again. Woojin noticed Jaehwan was looking a little paler than normal. He started to say something when he noticed Daniel’s expression. He followed their gazes into the distance. A single figure stood in the middle of the road, head titled to its side limply. It was a person… or it had been. Even from a distance, Woojin could see how lifeless it was.

“I-It’s turned isn’t it?” Jaehwan whispered. “What do we do?”

“Don’t move.” Woojin tried to hide the fear in his voice. “But if I tell you to run, run and don’t look back.”

     The three of them stood completely still, showing as little aggression as possible. The creature turned slowly, its attention shifting from the trio. Woojin placed his hand gently on Jaehwan’s shoulder. Slowly, they began to back up. The creature’s head whipped back with such violence it’s neck should have snapped.

“Run!” Woojin cried.

    Even before the word had finished leaving his lips, the creature began sprinting towards them with implausible speed. Woojin’s heart pounded in his ears as they ran up the hill. They hadn’t seen a turned person in so long. They thought they had all died. They thought it was only animals, slower, dumber animals. Why now? Why were they seeing one now?

   Somehow, Woojin ran even faster up hill than he had downhill and yet Daniel was still outpacing him considerably. Woojin could hear it getting closer. But, even more frighteningly, he could hear Jaehwan getting farther away. His friends desperate and weak breaths growing fainter and fainter. And then, he couldn’t hear them anymore. Woojin’s head whipped around. Jaehwan was gone. Woojin’s feet stopped only a moment after his heart. No, he wasn’t gone, he’d fallen. He lay sprawled out on the ground.

“J-Jaehwan!” Woojin stumbled over to him. “Get up!”

    Jaehwan didn’t move. His eyes weren’t open. He wasn’t breathing. Woojin wasn’t breathing. He couldn’t think. They needed to stand. It was coming. He couldn’t lift him. They needed to run. Woojin was screaming. He must’ve been screaming. He couldn’t hear anything. It was closer. He desperately pulled on his friend. They couldn’t die, not now. It was here.

“Jaehwan!” Woojin screamed.

    It jumped towards them. A metal crate smashed into its face, sending it crumbling onto the ground. Daniel jumped on top of it, driving his knife into its brain. Woojin was trembling uncontrollably.

“He’s not breathing,” He choked out.

     Daniel climbed off the dead creature slowly, looking even worse than Woojin felt. Without another word, he stumbled over to Woojin and together they lifted Jaehwan off the ground.

    They didn’t even know where they were going. It just needed to be as far away from that thing as possible. Woojin's mind raced at a million miles an hour. He didn’t know what to do. They needed help. There was no one to help. Woojin’s legs gave out on him, Daniel crumbling alongside him. They both just sat there, breathing heavily, Jaehwan cradled between them.

“W-what do we do?” Daniel asked.

“Keep going,” Woojin said.

      They tried desperately to stand again, but the whole world was fighting against them. The screaming in Woojin’s head was matched with distant shouts. Someone was yelling at them. But somehow, they didn’t process it. They needed to stand. They needed to run. They just needed to take

                                                                                                                                                                                         **one more step.**


	4. Eleven

   Blood rolled down the concrete, collecting in Jinyoung’s hair. He stared up at the clear and almost beautiful sky above them. But the smell of death filled the air. Jinyoung’s head was throbbing and he could hear his heart beating in his ears. But it was over; he knew as soon as a small figure blocked the sun from above him. Jihoon’s concerned, blood splattered face stared down at him.

“Are we okay? Did we make it?” Jinyoung croaked out.

“Yeah,” Jihoon helped Jinyoung up carefully. “I’ll go let him know it’s all clear. You take a breather for a minute, okay? That guy hit you pretty hard…”

“I’m okay.” Jinyoung tried to smile but it ended up more like a grimace.

Jihoon gave a somewhat unconvinced nod and let go of him carefully. It took everything in Jinyoung’s power to remain upright. He watched as Jihoon sprinted off down the road. Against his better judgement, his eyes drifted over to the battle field. Blood caked the entire street and four bodies lay lifeless in the road. Jinyoung pulled his eyes away, a pit forming in his chest. The fight had been utter chaos, but he was certain he was responsible for at least one of those bodies. He loathed the feeling that radiated within his very soul: death. This world was nothing but death.

      Jinyoung remembered the day his world ended vividly. It had started slow, almost unnoticeable. People were more irritable than normal as he drove over to meet up with his friends. Other drivers honked and screamed at him for every little thing. Even people walking along the sidewalk seemed to lose their temper in an instant. It wasn’t until he saw the first splash of blood that he understood something was truly wrong. It wasn’t until he heard his friends terrified cries for help that adrenaline started flooding his veins. It wasn’t until he heard the people on the radio begging people to run as they died that he began to panic. It wasn’t until he stumbled into his home to find his mother tearing his father apart that his reality truly crumbled. In eleven hours, everything changed forever.

     His survival of that day was truly a mystery to him. In many ways, he wished he had died that day alongside the rest of humanity. Because, in Jinyoung’s eyes, humanity died that day. The only “people” still roaming around were bloodthirsty and cruel. Jinyoung looked at the dead bodies once again. It was either kill or be killed.

“Jinyoung,” Jihoon’s voice broke the haunting silence. “Come on, let’s go.”

     Jinyoung turned away once again and staggered over to his companion. They rounded the corner and were met with the concerned eyes of their youngest. Guanlin looked Jinyoung up and down, eyebrows furrowed.

“What happened?” He asked clearly vexed.

“We dealt with it,” Jihoon said curtly. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

“What if…” Guanlin paused as if the question floating in his head disturbed him deeply. “What if they weren’t trying to hurt us?”

Jihoon’s expression hardened. “We can’t take that risk… not again.”

     Guanlin’s eyes widened and agony twisted his usually charming features. Jinyoung’s stomach sank and he took a few steps away. This wasn’t his conversation. He had no right to inject. Guanlin’s head lowered.

“It must be so hard for him… trying to survive alone in a world like this. He must be scared.” Guanlin muttered softly before a determined look crossed his face. “When we find him, I’m going to make sure he never leaves my side again.”

    Jinyoung didn’t need to look to know there was pain evident on Jihoon’s face as he offered empty words of comfort. He closed his eyes. He had no right to interject. Jihoon had been his friend since high school but the other two had built a much deeper connection with him in a much shorter time. They were like a family. Jinyoung was just a friend, not even a close one. He had no right to interject. No matter what.

 

~             ~              ~               ~              ~              ~               ~            ~    

 

   The trio wandered down the small streets lined with empty houses and broken-down businesses. A weight hung over them. They were all keenly aware of how familiar these streets were, yet they stayed silent. Guanlin’s eyes darted about as he strayed further and further ahead. Jihoon kept his eyes locked on the youngest. Desperation had slowly begun to erode the youngest’s tendency to follow the older boys’ decisions. And in a place like that, a reckless act seemed almost inevitable.

     Tensions rose the deeper they got into the neighborhood. Again and again, Jihoon tried to change their direction and bring them somewhere safer. Guanlin ignored him. Finally, it was all too much for Jinyoung. He stopped alongside a small apartment.

“Hey,” His soft voice stopped the other two immediately. “Let’s spend the night here.”

“There’s still so much daylight,” Guanlin turned.

Jihoon caught his arm. “Let’s stop.”

    Guanlin’s recklessness crumbled slightly. Looking into Jihoon’s eyes and seeing one of Jinyoung’s rare moments of sharing his opinion, he gave in without another word. They headed over to the building, a small amount of tension lifted. But that tension almost doubled as they discovered the obviously already invaded entrance. Jinyoung looked over at Jihoon. They silently weighed their choices.

“Are we going to-” Guanlin started.

“Come on.” Jihoon stepped into the building.

     Jinyoung pushed aside his feelings of unease and followed him. No matter what else was in here, it was no less unpredictable than their youngest’s desperation. If there was one things Jinyoung feared, it was the day the last two pieces of his happiness died. There was nothing more likely to lead to that day than desperation.

    Quietly, they began to explore the little building. They wandered in and out of each wreaked apartment. Jinyoung tried to ignore the ghosts of happy lives that still lived there. Many of the abandoned homes still contained pictures and other trinkets once treasured but now forgotten. Jinyoung’s mind drifted to his own home. Surely it wasn’t far from here. He wished he had the confidence to go back there.

     They reached the second floor in no time, having found little of use. Guanlin was obviously still restless, not being the least bit thorough in his search. Jihoon watched him with a vaguely regretful expression. Jinyoung kept himself busy with the mindless task of searching. He had no right to interject. And, for a while, it seemed as though things were once again beginning to calm down. A soft sound broke the silence.

_“ … Even when time stops_

_Only the memories will be by your side.”_

 

   It was singing. It had been so long since Jinyoung had heard anyone sing it took him a moment to realize what that meant. Someone was in here. But it didn't take long for him to realize what the look in Guanlin's eyes meant. Danger.

“We need to-” Jihoon started, panic evident on his face.

“Seonho?” Guanlin called out. “Seonho!”

     Guanlin broke into a run, heading straight for where the voice had come from. His long legs bounding up the stair case before Jinyoung could even process what was happening.

“Stop!” Jihoon cried, only a few crucial steps behind Guanlin.

    Jinyoung chased after them, fear rising. This was very bad, no this was horrible. He couldn’t lose them. He needed to stop this. Unlike the day his world ended, he _could_ stop this. But it took eleven hours to lose the world, it would take less than eleven seconds

                                                                                         **to lose all hope.**


	5. Nothing Without You

    The singing stopped. Guanlin was certain he had heard it coming from one of the apartments on that hallway. He briefly ducked in and out of each of the doorways, calling Seonho’s name. He knew he was alive. He knew it. Who else would be singing during the apocalypse? It didn’t matter that the voice wasn’t quite right or that he wasn’t responding to his name being called. Guanlin was certain it was him and the thought fogged his mind with joy.

     But the moment a long wooden board smashed into the side of his head, that joy died. Guanlin crashed onto the cold hallway floor, his vision blurring. Someone jumped on top of him, knocking all the air out of his lungs. They pressed a broken piece of glass against his throat. As his vision returned to him, Guanlin saw Jihoon running down the hallway towards them.

“Stop!” The young man sitting on him cried. “Don’t come any closer!”

      The young man’s voice was filled with fear but Jihoon froze instantly, eyes wide and fists clenched. Guanlin sucked in each breath unevenly, desperately trying to force down the tears that threatened to fall. He cursed himself again and again in his head. He’d gotten them into danger again. He hadn’t learned anything. He might die. Right now, he could die. The glass pressed into his throat. He was going to die. He was going to make Jihoon cry again. He was going to make Jinyoung even more withdrawn. He was going to hurt them. He couldn’t stand the thought.

“W-who are you?” The young man stammered. “What do you want?”

“We’re no one. We just wanted to stay here for the night. We mean no harm.” Jihoon said, putting his hands up.

    The young man eyed Jihoon carefully before shifting his gaze down to Guanlin. He didn’t look like a killer. But he looked scared and fear could turn anyone into a killer. The sound of a door swinging shut made all of their hearts stop. Guanlin’s eyes widened. Jinyoung?

“What was that?” The young man’s eyes darted around like a cornered animal. “Who else is with you? Where are they? If they try anything, I swear I’ll-”

“There’s no one,” Jihoon said, trying to remain calm. “It’s just the two of us. There isn’t anyone else.”

“Don’t lie to me! I heard him calling someone’s name.” The man gestured to Guanlin.

   Guanlin shook his head, mouth opening and closing mindlessly. He desperately tried to formulate some kind of explanation, some way to get them out of this. As always, Jihoon remained level headed.

“That person… is missing. We were attacked by another group. He, uh, got lost in the fight. We’ve been looking for him the past couple of months. Guanlin just thought… you were him.” Jihoon said, expression somewhat strained.

The man laughed, exasperated. “You expect me to believe that? No one could survive in a world like this alone. No one just goes missing and then turns up again. If you’ve lived this long, you know that. Why would you still be looking for him? Stop lying to me. I will kil-”

“I’m not lying!” Jihoon raised his voice before struggling to regain his composure. “What? Are we not allowed to have a little hope? Is that seriously too much to ask?”

“W-we haven’t found his body,” Guanlin spoke just above a whisper. “We don’t know that he’s dead. I won’t give up on him. He was… my everything. My other half. I’m nothing without him.”

     Jihoon’s face twisted in agony and his head sank. The young man studied Guanlin’s face before turning his gaze to the apartment behind him. Guanlin tried to follow his gaze. Was someone in there? The young man’s expression almost looked sympathetic. But the expression melted the second another soft thud was heard in the distance.

“I heard someone.” The man’s voice shook. “You _are_ lying. There’s someone here, I know it!”

“There isn’t!” Jihoon said, desperately. “It’s just us, looking for our friend.”

“I don’t believe you!” The man cried. “He’s here. Where is he? What’s he trying to do?”

“He isn’t here! He can’t be here, okay?” Jihoon yelled back, hands shaking violently.

“Tell him to stop whatever he’s doing,” The man pressed the glass into Guanlin throat until a small prick of blood trickled out. “Now.”

“No, please don’t! I can’t! He. Isn’t. Here.” Jihoon screamed as the glass pressed in deeper. “Oh my g- Don’t! Don’t take him away from me too!”

    Guanlin’s heart beat in his ear. With every pound the same phrase repeated in his head. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was scared. But Jihoon was terrified.

“Stop it, just stop it!” The man yelled back. “Stop lying! I don’t trust you. I won’t let you hurt us. Just tell the truth and I won’t-”

“He’s **dead** , okay?” Jihoon’s voice broke under the weight of his words. “T-that man is dead… he _can’t_ be here.”

      Guanlin’s heart stopped. No, Jihoon was lying. He was just lying to get them out of here. Yet the tears that rolled down Jihoon’s face screamed otherwise. The young man didn’t move, mind clearly racing to understand. Guanlin stared at his friend desperately but Jihoon didn’t meet his eyes. Suddenly, Guanlin wished the glass would burry itself into his throat and take away the unbearable pain seething in his chest.

“I don’t-” The man barely got another word out before the wooden board cracked into his skull.

      He fell limp on top of Guanlin as Jinyoung stumbled back, the board still in his hand. Jinyoung was trembling uncontrollably as his eyes darted between Jihoon and Guanlin. Jihoon ran over, pushing the motionless man off of Guanlin.

“A-are you-” He started.

“You were lying, right?” Guanlin asked shakily. “Jihoon please, tell me you were lying.”

Jihoon’s head sunk and he ran a hand through his hair. “We need to… talk.”

 

~             ~              ~               ~              ~              ~               ~            ~    

 

    Jihoon would never forget the day he opened the door to see those two younger men smiling nervously up at him. He hadn’t been sure how he felt about his family housing two foreign exchange students. As soon as he saw them… he was okay with it.

   They were like the brothers he never had. They did everything together and quickly grew to know everything about each other. Seonho was born in Korea before moving to China when he was seven, so he spoke pretty fluent Korean. Guanlin, on the other hand, struggled for their first few months together. But he was a fast learner.

    They both accepted Jihoon into their lives graciously, as he did them to his. Jihoon had many other friends, old ones like Jinyoung, but none of them connected to him like those two did. He thought the world of them. He would do anything to keep them safe and happy.

    And then, the world ended. Jihoon lost his family. He lost many of his friends. He lost his life, his future. He wasn’t willing to loose them too. He wasn’t very close to Jinyoung, despite their long-standing friendship, but Jinyoung was smart and a surprisingly good fighter. So, he kept him around to help, almost symbiotically. It was just the four of them.

    Yet, in an instant, it became the three of them. The world was heartless. People attacked them constantly. Yet they wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt. The hope that, maybe just maybe, people could still be kind was too important to ignore. That hope died the moment those men killed Seonho. It all happened so fast. He was trying to explain that they meant no harm to that group. But they still attacked. They stabbed Jinyoung. Guanlin tried to save him. They knocked him to the ground, unconscious. Jihoon couldn't stop them. He had only killed two of them when Seonho fell... dead. They didn’t care that he was young. They didn't care that he meant no harm. They didn’t care that he was just trying to survive. They just killed him. And Jihoon couldn't save him.

     The pain Jihoon felt was indescribable. It would have been better for him if he had died instead. He never _ever_ wanted Guanlin to feel that. So, until that moment, Guanlin never had.

“He’s… dead.” Jihoon said, softly. “I should have told you. Guanlin, I’m so sorry. I just-”

“Save it.” Guanlin’s expression was cold. “Don’t bother apologizing. I’ll never forgive you for letting him die.”

     Jihoon could only watch in horror as Guanlin slipped away from him with each passing second. He couldn’t lose him. He couldn’t lose both of them. He was nothing without them.

 

~             ~              ~               ~              ~              ~               ~            ~    

 

    Daehwi’s eyes opened slowly, his vision cloudy. Two voices shouted in the distance. Their screams only increased the throbbing pain in his head. He looked around uneasily. He was lying in the middle of the apartment floor, one arm tied to the leg of a couch. The apartment was dark and the front door was closed. The voices grew louder and Daehwi’s sense came back to him enough to understand what they were saying.

“I hate you! Don’t you get it? You lied… about him. You just let me go on with that stupid hope-”

“Guanlin, please! I just wanted to keep you safe. I just wanted to spare you from that pain.”

“No! You just didn’t want to face your own guilt. You’re selfish, Jihoon! You’re selfish and I hate you!”

“W-wait, stop! Guanlin!”

     The hall went silent. Daehwi struggled to remember what had happened. Someone hit him over the head. Was it one of the two voices outside? Wait no, there was someone else. His eyes adjusted to the darkness slightly just as a figure rose from the corner of his vision. A young man walked over to the door, a concerned look on his face. Daehwi was certain that was the person who hit him. He remained still as the man debated whether or not to go outside. A groan from the corner of the room drew both of their attention away from the door. Guanlin’s heart rate spiked. Seongwoo.

    The figure crept back over to that corner before crouching down. Adrenaline flooded through Daehwi’s veins. He needed to do something. That man was going to kill them. They were going to die. He tugged at the old rope around his wrist. It rubbed against his wrist, burning his skin, but he ignored the pain. Still, it wasn’t budging. Another, more pained, groan reached his ears. That man was killing him.

    Daehwi put both of his hands underneath the couch, struggling to lift it quietly. He let go with one hand and pulled the rope off of the leg. But in the process the couch slipped from his grip and landed with a crash. The man’s head shot towards him. Daehwi’s eyes shot to the array of broken glass lying beneath the window. He dove for it, grabbing the sharpest piece he could see. The man darted for the door.

“Jihoon!” He screamed.

    Daehwi was behind him before he could reach the door. Daehwi drove the long piece of glass into his shoulder, blood immediately spraying out onto his hands. The young man screamed in agony before shoving Daehwi backwards. Daehwi’s head collided with the wall and he fell to the ground. The door swung open and Daehwi watched as the man stumbled out.

     Silence fell once again. All Daehwi could hear was his own strained breathing. He did it. They were gone. It would be okay now. Seongwoo would be- Daehwi’s head shot behind him. Seongwoo. Daehwi crawled to the corner where he lay. He looked terrible. What had that man done to him? What was Daehwi going to do? He couldn’t loose Seongwoo. He couldn’t. He was

                                                           **nothing without him.**


	6. Never

     The whole world was silent except for the sound of three pairs of shoes hitting the pavement. Nevertheless, Sungwoon was on high alert. He hated being this deep in the city; tall buildings and winding roads blocking his view and acting as poor hiding spots. But even more than that, he hated how dead the city was. There were no signs of life, at least not any friendly ones. Before, Sungwoon never would’ve taken Jisung here… but things were different now.

“Hang on a second,” Jisung’s soft voice broke the silent air.

      Sungwoon stopped and turned around. Jisung was standing a few feet back, watching Minhyun hastily tie his shoes. It had only been a few days since Minhyun had joined their little group. Jisung took to him immediately, treating him with the same friendliness and kindness he had given to Sungwoon when they first met. Sungwoon wondered if he was like that with everyone. Part of him hoped he wasn’t.

      Minhyun finished and stood up, giving both of them an apologetic look. Sungwoon beckoned for them to catch up with him. It wasn’t that Sungwoon didn’t like Minhyun, he had no reason to. Minhyun must’ve thanked them a million times and, besides his initial hostility, he had been very agreeable. But something about the mentality that he had bothered Sungwoon. He talked about his friends a lot and it was obvious that he cared for them, almost too much. They quite literally meant everything to him. He would do anything to find them… and Sungwoon couldn’t help but worry that anything might involve throwing him and Jisung under the bus. Despite his gratitude, Minhyun kept a serious distance between them.

     Sungwoon slowed down slightly. He could feel himself getting caught up in his thoughts. He needed to clear his head if he was going to be alert enough to keep them safe. Jisung noticed Sungwoon slow and immediately picked up his own pace so they were walking side by side. Minhyun trailed behind them, looking down every alleyway and side street for any sign of familiar territory, paying no attention to them.

“What’s up?” Jisung asked, quietly.

“I don’t like being here. I don’t like wandering around aimlessly. I don’t like how reckless Minhyun seems.” Sungwoon sighed. “I just… don’t like this.”

Jisung gave him a soft smile. “You don’t have to be so worried. Minhyun is a kind person, I can tell. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt us. We’ll find his friends, you’ll see. It’ll turn out alright.”

“I don’t think he would do anything to hurt us directly,” Sungwoon said. “But I worry that he’ll lead us into a dangerous situation.”

“Things aren’t so-” Jisung was cut off as his feet caught on something.

     Jisung started to fall forward but Sungwoon managed to catch him. They both gasped and stumbled backward. A deformed body lay on the street, twitching. It was definitely turned. A knife stuck out of its head. Jisung spun around, immediately rushing over to Minhyun to warn him. Sungwoon stared down at the horrid creature. His stomach sank. This was a bad omen, he could feel it.

“Let’s turn around,” Sungwoon said, turning to the other two. “We should go a different way.”

      Despite Jisung’s efforts, Minhyun’s eyes landed on the body and his expression darkened. He nodded slowly, pulling his eyes away. Jisung gave him a concerned look. Sungwoon started making his way over to them when Minhyun’s hand shot up.

“Wait,” He said, his eyes growing wide. “That building… I recognize it.”

Sungwoon followed his gaze, frowning. “We can go over there but we have to wrap around first. This way isn’t safe-”

“That will take too long,” Minhyun took off, rushing past the body. “You don’t have to follow me.”

     Desperately, every fiber of Sungwoon’s being wanted to let Minhyun go off by himself. He wanted to just leave him alone and take Jisung somewhere safe. But as he watched Jisung rush to catch up he knew that wasn’t the right choice. He promised to help Minhyun. To some extent, he understood what Minhyun was feeling. But things were escalating far too quickly for his liking.

     Sungwoon jogged to catch up with them, anxiety bubbling in his chest. Minhyun’s gaze was completely focused on the building in front of him. He didn’t seem to recognize that Jisung and Sungwoon had caught up with him. Jisung was watching him just as intently, trying to make sure he didn’t walk into a light pole or something. Sungwoon struggled to keep up with them and thoroughly scan the area at the same time. They were going too fast.

“Minhyun,” Sungwoon called, slightly out of breath.

      Minhyun didn’t respond.

“Minhyun!” Sungwoon repeated, starting to get irritated. “Slow down.”

“This is familiar. This is all familiar,” Minhyun said absentmindedly, a smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

“Hey!” Sungwoon grabbed his arm, jerking him to a stop. “Listen to me! I know you’re happy, but you have to slow down.”

“But this is the edge of our territory,” Minhyun said gesturing to the road that met theirs at the bottom of the hill. “Our base isn’t far from here.”

“Territory?” Sungwoon didn’t resist as Minhyun pulled his arm away.

     Once again, Minhyun didn’t reply, taking off again instead. Sungwoon made eye contact with Jisung. They exchanged uneasy looks. Still, they pressed on, falling into step with Minhyun again. Sungwoon just wanted to get this over with at this point. But, as he had begun to expect from life, things only took a turn for the worse.

“Wait!” They all stopped as Jisung pointed to the bottom of the hill. “People.”

      Sungwoon followed his finger. He was right. Two people were struggling to carry something along the road. Or rather, they were struggling to carry someone. Sungwoon turned to Minhyun.

“Do you recognize them?” He asked.

      Minhyun stared at them, eyebrows furrowed. They clearly weren’t his friends. Sungwoon looked back over just in time to see them collapse onto the ground. The guy they were carrying didn’t look too good. Sungwoon bit the inside of his cheek. If he had to guess, those people were the ones who ran into the turned they’d stumbled across up the road. They must’ve killed it but not before one of them got injured. He would probably turn soon.

“We need to get out of here.” Sungwoon started backing up. “We’ll find another way around, okay? I promise we’ll-”

“It was them…” Minhyun said, voice dark.

“What?” Sungwoon froze.

“They’re the ones that attacked my group,” Minhyun clenched his fists. “They’re the reason we got separated.”

“A-are you sur-” Jisung started tentatively.

“Yes!” Minhyun raised his voice, making Jisung flinch. “I know it! There were more of them before, but I know those three were part of it. I wouldn’t forget.”

“Then we really need to leave!” Sungwoon insisted. “I’m pretty sure one of them was infected. Just look at him! He’s going to turn soon. We should-”

“No!” Minhyun spun to face him, eyes desperate. “They probably know something! Where my friends went, what happened to them, or maybe they ran into each other again.”

“And you just want to waltz up there and ask them? Are you insane? They’ll just attack us!” Sungwoon was running out of patience and sympathy.

“So what? Only two of them can fight and they look pretty worn out to me!” Minhyun yelled back.

“Guys, calm down!” Jisung stepped in between them. “Minhyun, I’m sorry but we can’t just go around attacking people.”

“I thought you said you would help me!” Minhyun’s voice broke and in an instant, all the energy and determination drained out of him. “P-please. I need to find my friends. I need them.”

     Sungwoon sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked back down at the little trio. They were struggling to stand up again, clearly in no condition to offer much of a fight. If Minhyun was right it might help them find his friends faster, and then they could just be done with this whole situation. Jisung looked almost on the verge of tears, clearly afraid of getting into a fight but not wanting to break his promise either. Sungwoon turned back to Minhyun with a fiery gaze.

“Fine. But you _have_ to listen to me.” Sungwoon said harshly. “We’re going to approach them carefully and get out of there as soon as possible. If anything happens… I’m going to blame you. Got it?”

Minhyun nodded. “…Thank you. Hurry, we can’t let them get away.”

 

~             ~              ~               ~              ~              ~               ~            ~      

 

    Daniel’s head was fuzzy. He couldn’t process what was happening. He could scarcely think coherently. Jaehwan wasn’t breathing. Yet Daniel could barely hear Woojin’s labored breaths over his own. They struggled to stand again. Daniel’s bloody hands looped under Jaehwan’s arms. Every muscle and bone in his body cried in agony as they began to lift. They had to get… somewhere. They had to do something. But he had no idea what to do.  

“Hey!”

     Surely, there was something they could do, right?

“Hey! You!”

     Jaehwan wasn’t going to die, right?

“Stop ignoring us!”

      Daniel wouldn’t let him. Never.

“HEY!”

      The final shout was a resounding boom that echoed across the road. Daniel and Woojin froze, their minds finally processing what was happening. Three men were running down the road towards them. They didn’t look happy. Especially the guy leading the charge, he looked furious. Daniel and Woojin looked at each other, terror in their eyes and hearts. Why now? Why was some group of jerks trying to attack them now? But Daniel knew why. Because they were weak.

“Put him down! We have to put him down,” Woojin said hastily beginning to lower Jaehwan.

“What do we do?” Daniel asked, voice trembling. “Woojin, I don’t know what to do! They’re going to-”

“They aren’t going to do anything,” Woojin said straightening up, fire in his eyes. “We won’t let them touch him, got it?”

“R-right.” Daniel stood up too. “We won’t lose him.”

“Never.” They said together.

       The shortest of the three strangers grabbed onto the other two, slowing them to a stop. The man in the front still looked nearly livid. Daniel felt his pocket for his knife, forgetting he’d plunged into the head of one of the turned. He cursed himself inwardly for leaving it there. That was the only knife the three of them had. Woojin glanced over, reading Daniel’s expression and understanding instantly the situation they were in. They need some kind of weapon or it was all over.

“Don’t ignore us!” The man in the front called.

“What do you want?” Daniel stepped in front of Woojin.

“You attacked my group.” The man took a few steps forward of his own. “I got separated from them. You know where they went, don’t you?”

“We don’t go around attacking people!” Daniel threw his arms up trying to keep them all focused on him. “And even if we did, I’ve never seen you before.”

“Yeah, right!” The man tried to charge at them but the other two held him back.

      Daniel glanced over his shoulder. Woojin had crept a little ways up the road to an abandoned construction area. Daniel turned back to the other three. Despite trying to hold back his companion, the shortest one’s eyes had landed on Woojin. He knew what they were trying to do.

“Minhyun, it isn’t worth the fight!” The other man said, fear evident on his face. “They said they don’t know!”

     The one in the front, Minhyun, managed to break free of them. Daniel backed up, looking over his shoulder again. Woojin was running back over, a long board in hand. Minhyun saw this and he scowled.

“They’re lying!” He started towards them again. “Besides, it’s too late to run away.”

“I told you to listen to me!” The shortest one screamed.

     But Minhyun wasn’t listening. And the shortest one quickly realized this. He clenched his fists and pulled out a knife, throwing his bag on the ground in the process. Daniel felt his heart beating in his chest.

“S-Sungwoon!” The other man cried as the shortest one began approaching too.

“Just stay back, Jisung!” Minhyun called. “We can handle it.”

“It’ll be fine,” The one apparently called Sungwoon said. “I promise.”

     Woojin and Daniel stood in front of Jaehwan, holding their ground with as much confidence as possible. The other two were approaching quickly. This was it.

“I’ve got the one with the knife,” Woojin said quietly and Daniel nodded.

    Daniel immediately went for the taller one, Minhyun. The man got the first punch in, grabbing onto Daniel’s shirt and throwing him against the guardrail. Daniel grabbed his hair and slammed his fist into the side of his head as hard as he could. Minhyun hunched over and stumbled sideways. Daniel brought his knee up, smashing it into his face. Minhyun fell forward, on the verge of unconsciousness. Daniel heard the sound of a knife hitting the pavement.

     Woojin had managed to get the first hit. He had swung his board into Sungwoon’s knee, hitting with a painfully loud crack, before bringing it up to knock the knife out of his hand. But, as his knife flew into the air, Sungwoon grabbed onto the end of Woojin’s board. He yanked it forward. Woojin managed to hold on but that just brought him close enough for Sungwoon to kick him in the side. Woojin let go and fell onto the ground. Sungwoon raised the board, preparing to bring it down on Woojin’s head.

     Daniel ran forward. He scooped the knife up.

“Sungwoon!”

     Two more steps, almost there.

“Look out!”

      Pull the knife back.

“NO!”

     Plunge it in.

      Before Daniel could really react, someone pushed Sungwoon out of the way. Still, Daniel drove the knife into flesh. He stumbled back. It was the other guy, Jisung. Blood came seeping out of his side. Sungwoon, who had landed on the ground a few feet away, let out a horrified scream.

“Jisung!” He crawled over to his friend. “No! No!”

    Daniel’s heart twisted in agony. He didn’t want to hurt them but… Woojin. He stumbled past the two of them. Woojin’s eyes were wide with shock, but he looked alright. That was all that mattered.

“J-Jisung…” Minhyun had pushed himself up.

“Help me!” Sungwoon cried. “W-we have to get out of here.”

     He looked over at Daniel and Woojin, pure terror in his eyes. But they did nothing to stop them as the three of them stumbled away. Daniel knew exactly what was going on in their minds. But he wasn’t going to do anything… he couldn’t. He hated it, but he couldn’t.

 

~             ~              ~               ~              ~              ~               ~            ~    

 

     They got away. They managed to get away. It would be okay. He could fix this. Sungwoon could fix this. Jisung lay on the sidewalk, eyes barely open, blood oozing out of his wound. Sungwoon tore at his jacket, trying to make some kind of bandage. He wrapped it around Jisung’s waste. His heart was racing so fast he thought he was going to die.

“W-what do we do?” Minhyun’s voice brought him back to reality.

                                                That _bastard_.

“WE aren’t doing anything!” Sungwoon spun around venom in his voice. “This is your fault!”

Minhyun shrunk back. “I-I didn’t-”

“Didn’t what?” Sungwoon screamed. “Didn’t lead us into a death trap? You’re insane! We should’ve left you for dead!”

“N-no…” Jisung’s weak voice made them both freeze. “Sungwoon don’t… don’t say that.”

Sungwoon turned, anger wavering slightly. “But he-”

“He didn’t mean to. Trust me, losing someone can make you act a little insane…” Jisung’s gaze shifted to Minhyun. “Don’t worry. We’ll help you find your friends. It’ll be alright.”

“J-Jisung, we-” Sungwoon stopped as Jisung’s head lowered.

      He passed out. Sungwoon looked over at Minhyun. He wanted to hate him. He wanted to kill him. But he couldn’t. Jisung was right, as always. Sungwoon lowered his head, wishing he could turn back time.

      He always did this. He always let life take things from him. He was a coward. When the world was crumbling and the people he had claimed to love needed him most… he hid. He locked himself away until he ran out of supplies. He thought they would be alright. But they were all gone. He did nothing, and he lost everything. He didn’t have a reason to keep living expect for the fear of dying. He was a coward. He wandered around, wishing he could just dissolve into the wind. And the world just kept proving how heartless it was. He saw death, destruction, and war at every turn.

       One day, he saw a man desperately trying to get a group of looters to leave him and his brother alone. Sungwoon hid, as he always did, but this time he couldn’t pull his eyes away. The man was trying to be kind and patient with them, despite how bad the situation was. But the looters didn’t care. Again and again, they demanded the two hand over all of their supplies. Again and again, the two of them refused. Finally, the group snapped. They pulled out their knives and attacked. The man tried to protect his brother, but they went for the younger one first, driving their knives into him over and over.

    Sungwoon was terrified. The sight was horrific, but he couldn’t move a muscle to stop it. They were dying. He wasn’t doing anything. Then, the man’s eyes locked with his. Before he could stop himself, Sungwoon was sprinting towards them. They didn’t see him coming. He grabbed the man by his shirt and started dragging him away. But the man struggled against him desperately calling his brother’s name. The looters couldn’t care less, they’d gotten what they wanted.

      At first, the man hated him. He shook Sungwoon desperately and demanded that they go back to save his brother. But Sungwoon wouldn’t let him. He was sick and tired of doing nothing. He held onto the man and told him over and over that it was alright. His brother was gone but it would be okay. It wasn’t over. They could still survive.

 

_“It’s alright. You aren’t alone. My name is Sungwoon, okay?”_

_“My… my name is Jisung.”_

 

      Jisung was the only thing Sungwoon had left. He had done everything he could to protect him. He would do anything for him. He'd never lose him…

                                                  **never.**


	7. I Promise You

     Seongwoo was cold. He was so cold. His eyes wouldn’t open… or maybe they were already open. He wasn’t sure. He was just numb. Everything was so dark. He could hear distant voices shouting. Seongwoo couldn’t figure out who they were. He wasn’t even sure where he was. Then he heard a familiar voice break through the chaos. Daehwi? He sounded terrified.

“I don’t-” A thud cut him off.

     Seongwoo’s eyes burst open, a rush of adrenaline washing over him. The world was still dark, but his eyes adjusted quickly. Something was wrong. Daehwi was in trouble. Seongwoo tried to push himself up but he couldn’t even move an inch. Agony shot through his entire body. He would have cried out if his lungs hadn’t stopped working. His head became dizzy and he slumped back down against the cabinets. He could still hear voices but Daehwi’s was terrifyingly silent. Seongwoo’s vision began fading as he saw the door creek open. A soft voice was the last thing Seongwoo registered before everything slipped away.

“I-I’ll just put him in here. You guys should t…”

     It was dark again. He was cold again. But he couldn’t feel the burning pain anymore. He just wanted to sleep.

.

He was tired.

.

.

Really tired.

.

.

.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to wake up again.

.

.

No…

.

Daehwi.

 

    Pain erupted in Seongwoo’s side as his eyes flung open once again. This time, a pained groan escaped his lips. A surprised yelp echoed across the tiny room. Someone else was here. Seongwoo’s lungs betrayed him once more as his breathing became unbearably loud and unsteady. A figure appeared before him in the dark. Even in the low light, Seongwoo could tell the young man was a pretty petite and unthreatening looking person. But still, his heart was pounding in his chest. Looks were always deceiving. The man took a few careful steps forward.

“Are you hurt?” He asked in a soft tone.

“S-stay back,” Seongwoo strained to get the words out. “Where’s D-Daehwi? What did you d-do to him?”

    The man’s shoulder’s slumped slightly and he looked over into another part of the room. Seongwoo tried to follow his gaze but he couldn’t turn his head. The man looked back and started approaching again. Seongwoo pressed himself back against the cabinets, ignoring the pain it caused. The man bent down slowly.

“I’m Jinyoung,” He had a calming voice. “Your friend will be fine. Let me help you. I won’t hurt you, okay?”

  Gently, the man, Jinyoung, reached out a hand. Seongwoo couldn’t have resisted even if he wanted to. Jinyoung began carefully inspecting his wounds. But even the gentlest of prods sent waves of pain through his body. Seongwoo groaned.

“Sorry,” Jinyoung apologized softly. “This must hurt a lot. I think I might be able to help a little though.”

    Seongwoo couldn’t answer. Everything was fading away again. Jinyoung’s voice disappeared. This time, Seongwoo didn’t feel as cold.

.

He wanted to wake up.

.

.

Was someone shouting?

.

Daehwi?

 

    Daylight greeted Seongwoo’s tired eyes. Pain rippled through him every few seconds. Someone was carrying him on their back. Every step they took was painful. But Seongwoo could imagine it was more painful for the person carrying him. He wasn’t exactly light, and they were small. Wait, no. It wasn’t just someone.

“Daehwi…” Seongwoo breathed out just above a whisper.

“Seongwoo?” Daehwi turned his head. “A-are you awake? Are you okay?”

“Where are we?” Seongwoo asked drowsily. “Where did Jinyoung go?”

“W-we’re…” Daehwi slowed to stop. “Who’s Jinyoung?”

“That boy…” Seongwoo said. “The one who was helping me.”

“Helping…” Daehwi stayed silent for a long time. “We’re going to a hospital.”

“Hospital?” Seongwoo laughed but it only aggravated his wound more. “What good would that do? All the doctors are dead.”

“Yeah,” Daehwi started walking again. “But there will still be a lot of supplies left over… hopefully. Don’t worry, I’ll get you all fixed up. I promise.”

 

~             ~              ~               ~              ~              ~               ~            ~      

 

      With each step he took, the weight in Minhyun’s chest became heavier. His gaze was fixed on Jisung’s motionless body draped over Sungwoon’s back. Sungwoon wouldn’t even let him touch Jisung. Minhyun wished he had died the day he lost his friends. He was completely alone now. The only people kind enough to help him were almost killed by his senselessness. The only thing that kept his feet trudging forward was the small sliver of hope that he would find his friends again. Sungwoon was slowly getting further away. Minhyun couldn’t come up with the willpower to walk faster. He was barely maintaining his current speed. Sungwoon looked back at him.

“Hurry up.” Sungwoon’s voice was as weak as his body looked.

Minhyun stopped. “…Let me help.”

     Sungwoon didn’t respond. He turned a corner without even glancing back. Minhyun stared at his feet, feeling completely numb. He did this. He got Jisung hurt. Sungwoon was right to hate him. Sungwoon reappeared again suddenly, stumbling backwards.

“Holy-” He started to lose his balance.

     Minhyun ran forward, just barely making it in time to steady him before he fell. But Sungwoon’s gaze was locked on a spot a little ways up the road, horror in his eyes.

“W-what is it?” Minhyun turned his head slowly.

     Blood. There was blood all over the road. All the air left Minhyun’s lungs. Four bodies were strewn across the pavement, completely disfigured. Minhyun staggered forward, unable to hear Sungwoon’s voice, unable to feel the stones that dug into his feet, unable to smell the death in the air, unable to register anything but the faces of the lost souls that lay before him.

no

please no

don’t let it be…

“J-Jonghyun…”

      He sank to his knees before his dear friend. All he could feel was agony. Gently, he reached out a hand.

“H-hey,” He shook him. “Jonghyun… it’s Minhyun… I f-found you. You need to get up. I f-”

       The tears streaming down his face choked his words. He couldn’t lose them, he couldn’t. His eyes darted around to the other bodies, long since dead and beginning to decompose.

“M-Minki?” He tried to stand. “Dongho? Aaron? Guys, please!”

      All that greeted him was silence. Minhyun’s legs gave out and he collapsed onto the cold ground. Rocks and debris cut into his skin. But as Minhyun sobbed incoherent cries of despair, he couldn’t feel anything. He was alone. There was no hope. He wished he was never born. He wished he would just stop breathing. Why? Why were they the ones that died? He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should’ve died. He should be dead.

       Arms wrapped around Minhyun, pulling him into a tight embrace. The warmth practically forced air he didn’t realize he’d lost back into his lungs. Sungwoon was trembling as he held Minhyun against him.

“I’m sorry,” He said, tenderly. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s my fault,” Minhyun choked out. “It’s all my fault. Everything is. If I had just died-”

“No! Don’t talk like that. This isn’t your fault. None of this is your fault. I’m so sorry.” Sungwoon pulled him even closer.

“It doesn’t even matter.” Minhyun almost laughed. “I’m alone. I’m all alone. I have nothing.”

    Sungwoon let him go suddenly. Minhyun missed the warmth as soon as it left him. Sungwoon stood above him, resolve on his face and compassion in his eyes.

“You aren’t alone.” He reached out a hand. “C’mon, we should get away from here.”

“I-I can’t leave them…” Minhyun looked back over at lifeless bodies.

“You can’t help them anymore. But you aren’t alone. You’re part of our group.” He gestured back to where Jisung was lying. “You can still help us… please, help me get Jisung somewhere safe. I promise we won’t abandon you.”

     Minhyun looked up at Sungwoon, tears beginning to fall from his dark eyes once again. Carefully, he took Sungwoon’s hand. Sungwoon pulled him up and into a hug. Minhyun clung to him… maybe he had a reason to keep moving.

 

~             ~              ~               ~              ~              ~               ~            ~     

 

       The ground underneath Jaehwan’s head shook slightly as two pairs of feet stumbled past him. But the small vibration felt like an agonizing pounding in Jaehwan’s head. He shifted slightly and groaned. His limbs were sore… in fact, his entire body was sore. His eyes opened slowly, the light that greeted them instantly giving him a headache.

“Jaehwan!” Two familiar voices called his name.

     Daniel and Woojin were both by his side in an instant, gently helping him sit up. He looked around, trying to process what was happening. The last thing he could remember was riding down the hill on his skateboard. Then they saw something in the distance…

Oh

“What happened?” Jaehwan asked, rubbing his forehead.

“You passed out, idiot!” Woojin cried, smacking Jaehwan’s arm. “We almost died!”

 “Don’t ever do that again!” Daniel wrapped his arms around Jaehwan.

Jaehwan struggled for air. “Okay, okay! I get it! I’m sorry…”

     Daniel pulled away from him. They both looked at him with tears in their eyes. Jaehwan felt a small pang of guilt. He hated seeing them upset. He straightened up more, ignoring the aching pain.

“Gosh, you guys sure do like to overreact.” Jaehwan laughed. “I’m fine, okay?”

Woojin frowned. “No, you’re not. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately. It isn’t good for you.”

“There might be something seriously wrong…” Daniel said anxiously.

“No, really. It’s no biggie. We can keep going.” Jaehwan stood up shakily.

     Jaehwan wobbled a little too far to one side and almost fell over. Woojin caught him, giving him a displeased look. Daniel stood up too, biting his lip, clearly unsure of what to do. Jaehwan hated it.

“We should find somewhere safe to rest.” Woojin turned to Daniel. “Somewhere with lots of supplies.”

“Guys I-” Jaehwan started to protest again.

“Zip it,” Woojin cut him off.

Daniel gave Jaehwan a stern look. “I’m not letting you get hurt again. We’re going to go somewhere safe and get you back to normal, got it?”

Jaehwan sighed and raised his hands defensively. “Alright, fine. But I promise you guys I’m totally fine.”

“We’ll see about that,” Woojin said. “Let’s go.”

Daniel crouched down in front of Jaehwan. “Get on.”

      Jaehwan smiled. He wasn’t going to argue with a free piggyback ride. Maybe having them baby him a little wouldn’t be so bad. Besides, he really was fine…

 

~             ~              ~               ~              ~              ~               ~            ~      

 

_“You’re selfish, Jihoon! You’re selfish and I hate you!”_

     The words vibrated through Jihoon’s mind over and over again. He ran through the street, head spinning and eyes darting around frantically.

“Guanlin! Guanlin, please!” He screamed. “I’m sorry!”

     But the hysterical calls were only met with silence. No matter where Jihoon looked, Guanlin was gone. Jihoon sank to his knees, panic overriding even his ability to stand. He was shaking uncontrollably. He failed him. He’d failed Guanlin and now he was going to lose him. Jihoon pressed his face into his hands, trying to hide from the guilt that danced with the dread in his mind. He felt like he was shattering into a million hopeless pieces.

“Please,” He whispered. “Don’t leave me.”

A distant voice made his head shoot up. “Jihoon!”

“Guanlin?” Jihoon sprang to his feet.

“Jihoon, h-help!” It was Jinyoung’s voice.

      Jihoon pushed aside the small feeling of disappointment and sprinted towards the sound. He rounded the corner to see Jinyoung stumbling towards him, blooding seeping from his shoulder. Jihoon’s heart stopped.

“J-Jinyoung? What happened?” Jihoon asked, concern bringing clarity to his mind.

“That g-guy…” Jinyoung said weakly. “He stabbed me… I was just trying to… help…”

     Jihoon looped one of Jinyoung’s arms around his shoulder, letting Jinyoung lean into him. His mind was racing but he knew exactly what he needed to do. There was no way he was going to lose anyone else.

“It’ll be okay,” Jihoon said as he tried to help Jinyoung begin walking again. “Don’t worry, you’ll be okay. I’ll find Guanlin too. I’ll figure this out. I promise…”

     Jinyoung smiled feebly. He looked pale. He tried to keep them walking but Jinyoung’s body started to go limp. They both started to fall. Jihoon scarcely managed to keep them from slamming onto the concrete.

“Jinyoung!” Jihoon cried. “No, no, no, no, no!”

     It was happening again. He was losing control again. He was losing hope again. Jihoon stared at the piece of broken glass sticking out of Jinyoung’s shoulder. He didn’t know what to do. He was an idiot for ever thinking he could protect what little hope and happiness he had left. Sobs of despair shook Jihoon’s shoulder as he looked around desperately.

“Guanlin…” He whimpered. “Guanlin! Please, help me! _Please_!”

     He screamed over and over again. He couldn’t do this alone. He needed help. He needed Guanlin. He needed Jinyoung. They were the only sliver of hope he had left. He was terrified.

“Guanlin!” Jihoon screamed one final time before his voice gave out on him.

 

Silence.

 

“Jihoon…” Guanlin’s voice answered.

       Jihoon’s head whipped around. Guanlin stood a few feet away, his eye wide with shock. He stared at Jinyoung for a few moments. His eyebrows knit together pensively. He rushed over to Jihoon.

“…I’m… sorry.” Guanlin said softly, wrapping an arm around Jinyoung. “I was being childish… I won’t leave you again. I promise.”

“T-thank you…” Jihoon smiled weakly. “Help me. We need to get Jinyoung somewhere we can heal him.”

      Guanlin nodded. The two of them stood carefully. They needed to hurry. But… there was hope now. At last, determination filled Jihoon to the core. He was certain he would never ever

                                                                                   **break his promise.**


End file.
